4 ways to kick-start your move to London

by
1st Contact
| Sep 04, 2013

Kickstart

Considering moving to London? Take care of the 4 most important considerations and the rest will take care of itself. If you’ve started researching your options, you’ll know this move is not a simple process – whether you want to migrate to the UK permanently, or simply spend a gap year in one of the world’s most vibrant cities. But don’t throw in the towel if you’re feeling overwhelmed; there are only four things to take care off.

1. The visa

Without a visa you won’t be touching down at Heathrow anytime soon, so this is the very first process you should set in motion.

Do thorough research on all the options available and then decide which visa you want to apply for. Visit 1st Contact Visas to find out more about the different types of visas. If you’d rather speak to someone who can guide you through your options, phone them on 0800 003 163 (in South Africa), 0808 141 1664 (in the UK), or 1800 039 300 in Australia).

They also have a handy online eligibility test, which shows you what you qualify for. It will cost you nothing to fill it out, or to call their advisors.

2. The job

Unless your move to London is with via an intra-company transfer, you will need to find a job on or before your arrival.

Most importantly: make sure your CV is up to date and formatted for a British market. Then start searching for opportunities.

If you take 1st Contact’s “Kickstart” package, their job assistance specialists will help you create our CV online, check it for quality, and then distribute it to the most relevant agencies in their network of over a 100 of the UK’s premier recruitment companies. You can secure your dream job before you’ve even left your home country.

3. The new bank account

Opening a bank account in the UK is notoriously difficult and often quite stressful. But with the right information, advice and support, you can be one of the lucky ones who get it done quickly and easily.

With a “Kickstart” package, 1st Contact will help you get a bank account on arrival or before you leave. This service comes with many pros:

No minimum deposit is required

You can choose which of the UK’s five leading banks you want to bank with

No need for mountains of paperwork

No need to stand in queues for hours

You can either get your bank account set up before you leave home, or you can open a fee-free account upon arrival

4. The National Insurance number

Many people start working in the UK without a National Insurance number – but this causes all sorts of complications with already-complicated tax matters.

It will help you enormously if you receive your NI number as soon as possible after arriving in the UK. A “Kickstart” package includes all the details of the application process, as well as all the support needed to get your National Insurance number without delay. You can also opt to let them take care of all the paperwork for you – in which case you can have your NI number in as little as two weeks.

… And that's it.

With permission to work in the UK, a job, a bank account for all the pounds you’ll be earning, and an NI number to make sure you don’t pay too much tax or get into any kind of trouble with HMRC, all the essentials will be taken care of. You can just get on with enjoying your London experience or settling into your new home.

1st Contact’s Kickstart package is extremely popular; thousands of people from around the globe use it to save them money, time and a lot of frustration. It also includes a new UK SIM card and mobile phone number, a gym voucher and a pocket-sized London Guide, with all the information you need to get properly acquainted with London.